As part of the twelfth day of the Hoval Promotion League, Lugano U21 hosts Bavois on the friendly ground of the Maglio with the aim of redeeming the latest negative results. At the end of the ninety minutes played on Sunday afternoon, the display indicates the score of 1:1 (0:1).
Not being able to count on the contribution of Ilija Maslarov, who was suspended for a turn because of the fourth yellow card of the season he received in the last outing in Bern against the U21 team of Young Boys, coach Andrea Vitali opts to deploy Nicolò Puddu a few meters further back than usual. In the starting eleven, Rafael Frizzi regains his place at the center of the attack, supported by the returning Jason Parente and Elias Pihlström.
In an essentially even start to the match, the first moment to be noted came in the 13th minute, when a Yuri Peverelli corner found Lendrit Shala's framing from the center of the box. While meeting a decent impact, the Kosovar defender's header went off over the crossbar. The period that followed showed a home team intent on offering its usual wraparound maneuver. It does not, however, translate into goal chances, partly because of the excellent defensive coverage of the Vaudois, not surprisingly the third force in the category.
Chances to unlock the contest were latent, and then the next highlight was a hard collision between Frizzi and guest goalkeeper Maxime Brenet, leading to the HCL center forward being cautioned for rough play. Another disjointed intervention by the same #14 a little later induces match director Laura Mauricio to draw the second yellow card, which means expulsion and early shower. The Romanians immediately took advantage of the numerical superiority and with a valuable backhand by Allan Eleouet surprised the Ticino rearguard, changing the score in their favor three laps of the clock from the 45th minute and allowing them to re-enter the locker room ahead by one goal.
Without an offensive reference, the Lugano team relies on team play, which, as the coach always stresses, is the aspect that for such a young group must make the difference on any occasion. And it is through it that the fifty-third minute is reached and a penalty kick is awarded for an obvious foul against Johann Angstmann. On the penalty spot comes Milad Amirzade, who is hypnotized by Brenet and misses a golden opportunity to bring the score back to even. Trying to keep their spirits high, the Undercenerins came up with a venomous diagonal shot by Pihlström, who, from a deflected position, narrowly missed the goal mirror as the clock approached the halfway mark of the second period.
The will to end the game on positive tracks continues and with just over a quarter of an hour left in the game, a second penalty is procured. This time, Amirzade does not miss and with a right cross into the "seven" makes the audience present at the Maglio rejoice. It is the point of the objectively deserved one to one. Luca Molino and his teammates preserve the correct attitude and continue to operate intelligently until the final triple whistle - in which they claim a new maximum penalty for an intervention perhaps sharper than the other two on the newly-entered David Piffero -, which delivers them their sixth consecutive draw in the six challenges acquitted between friendly walls.
"It was a balanced game, where in four to five minutes everything changed. This was because there was an expulsion against their goalkeeper for the foul on Rafael Frizzi. Instead, the referee reversed the decision. Afterwards, we had a moment when we went into confusion and conceded the goal. In the second half, the main message, being ten against eleven, was to help each other. And the boys did that, sending a good signal. Beyond these situations, the way the challenge had turned out, we are satisfied and we go on like this. Also for the reason that, recalling the red cards we remitted at the beginning of the season, the duels ended in goleada for our opponents. Now we are going through a complicated period, with a few starters out due to injury. Those who are playing, however, are making a good impression. For the near future, we will have to be patient, trying to always stay "on the ball"", the end-of-game analysis of coach Andrea Vitali.
This draw-the sixth of the season and the fourth in the last six official outings-leaves yes, Lugano U21 in 15th place in the standings, but it raises it to 12 points, two more than Paradiso and three over Grand-Saconnex, which is back powerfully in the running thanks to recent successes over Vevey-Sports and Biel. The next date to try to taste the taste of victory again will be Sunday, October 26, 2025. At 3:30 p.m., also in Canobbio, the confrontation with the Bielers is scheduled.
TABLE
Hoval Promotion League, Day 12
Al Maglio Sports Center, Canobbio - 200 spectators
FC LUGANO U21 - FC BAVOIS 1:1 (0:1)
MARKERS: 42′ Eleouet 0:1, 74′ Amirzade 1:1 (penalty).
FC LUGANO U21 (3-4-2-1): Mina; Shala, Radić, Molino; Peverelli, Amirzade, Puddu (61′ Raffa), Angstmann (75′ Donnini); Parente, Pihlström (85′ Piffero); Frizzi.
Available: Ndiaye, Gecaj, Shabanaj, Lechner.
Coach: Andrea Vitali.
FC BAVOIS (4-3-3): Brenet; Diallo, Amedoski, Rodrigues (46′ Begzadić), Guignard; Ivanov, Ribeiro, Bega; Álvarez (85′ Trabelsi), Figueiredo Simões (85′ Risse), Eleouet (85′ Clément).
Available: Manière, Mougnol.
Coach: Bekim Uka.
REFEREE: Laura Mauricio.
ASSISTANTS: Alper Keles and Florent Hunziker.
AMMONITES: 33′ Frizzi, 38′ Rodrigues, 39′ Frizzi, 66′ Amirzade, 77′ Álvarez, 78′ Uka, 80′ Amedoski, 82′ Molino, 90′ +3′ Vitali.
EXPULSED: 39′ Frizzi.